Yamaha vs Mercury (Which is BEST & Which Should YOU BUY?) Outboard Motor Review

[@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon]

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[@judyfiumarello3384]

I have been in the industry for over 20+ years owning my own dealership for over 19 years. I am a master tech for Evinrude. That being said, I always said I would NEVER put a Mercury on my boat. Enter 2020..........bought a boat with a Mercury 200 ProXS. One of the best motors I have ever run, and I have run them all. Fast, quiet considering what it is, and most important, RELIABLE. Mercury has changed my mind. Everyone out there today makes a great product. Find a motor you like, find a dealer you like, keep it maintained.........and you will be a happy camper no matter what make you choose.

[@clayreynolds5502]

The even rude Fitch was a problem motor bad design

[@1091hurricane]

Update?

[@peterhorn-om5ww]

Agreed the new mercs are so impressive. I’m a tech as well and work with a die hard Yamaha master tech and even he says these days he’d take a mercury over a Yamaha. Yamahas reliability has dropped and they are falling far behind as far as technology goes.

[@owenkilcullen1955]

I find that it really depends on the intended use. As someone who works on the commercial side of things, I have to go with Yamaha. If I wanted to go fast or simply cruise a couple times a month mercury is a great option, but I’ve never seen a 4stroke merc go for 5000+ hours on everything original

[@scubafever282828]

Ive always been amazed at my California marina. There are no OLD MERCURY outboards on any of the boats!! Lots of old Yamahas. 😮

[@floridaoutdooradventures8981]

I have a 2007 Yamaha 50 hp four stroke. It’s been THE MOST RELIABLE OUTBOARD I’ve ever owned. Of course, I always get it serviced on time and I’ve been using non-ethanol fuel since day 1. I can tell you that this outboard has been even more reliable than my car! ( knock on wood!) I prefer Yamaha to Mercury because I truly believe they are better built and they look nicer too. I also prefer the color of the engine. That Yamaha grey is not as boring as the Mercury black. My neighbor bought a brand new 50 hp four stroke Mercury 2021 model, he had issues with the spark plugs on a brand new engine within the first 20 hours!!!! He had to replace them and had to pay out of pocket! He felt cheated on and I don’t blame him. GO WITH YAHAMA, YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!!

[@gregohare2406]

I have a 94 Mariner/Merc 90 HP two stroke that I bought new and am still running on my 17’ flats boat. Early on the stator went out along with a leaking internal oil tank. Replaced the trim and tilt after about 16 years. Otherwise it has been a great engine. Little over 200 hrs on the engine, still going strong.

[@laurieharper1526]

Sensible, balanced advice. Thanks. Looking for a motor at the moment and am watching YT videos for information. You are absolutely correct that what really matters is how good your local dealer/service facility is. Modern motors (like cars) from reputable manufacturers are generally very good these days. They all use similar technology and manufacturing techniques and borrow from each other. It's how well you look after them that's most important.

[@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon]

Thank you!

[@christopherwilliams4647]

My 2015 Mercury 115 four stroke grenaded at 133 hours, had the boat since brand new. I gave mercury a second chance because the engine ran perfect up until it blew up. I replaced the power head and it runs great. I've also seen newer Suzuki and Yamaha also blow up. My previous engine was a 1999 mercury 40hp 2 stroke that ran perfect since new and runs perfect for the person I sold it to as of today. Things happen, engines are machines and anything can happen.

[@clemdoggmillionaire9914]

That's because Mercury 115s are trash

[@christopherwilliams4647]

@@clemdoggmillionaire9914 typical troll with no money response

[@seldom_seen8713]

I currently own a 1996 225 mad max mercury and she has never ever left me stranded. The oil and gas still mixes itself. I will definitely be upgrading to the 300 pro xs😁

[@K_M_M_G]

Great video! Yamaha vs Mercury is like Ford vs Chevy. Just pick one and take care of it

[@christaylor7642]

Great video Captain Matt. As others have mentioned, both manufacturers make excellent outboards. However, a few minor things not mentioned, that when combined puts Mercury ahead. One, Yamaha requires a 20 hr. service in addition to the 100 hr service so your maintenance costs will be slightly higher during your first year. Two, Yamaha requires the use of 89 octane fuel while Mercury only requires 87 octane. If you're trailering your boat and filling up at gas stations (and using fuel stabilizer), your cost will be 10-15% higher with each fill up. Three, and this is pretty big, the top access door on the Mercury 175hp and larger 4 strokes is a huge benefit over Yamaha. Checking your oil is a breeze. Anyone that's had to lift the whole cowling off an outboard that size to check the oil knows it's a pain.

[@thomasmartucci3590]

I have a Mercury Verado (supercharged version). Pretty sure all supercharged versions recommend 93 octane. They will run on 87 but I’ve been told they detune themselves. Double check the last statement.

[@melrose9252]

I think in most cases this is a discussion that may never be answered. There are fan boys for both sides that are not going to change their mind. Both Mercury and Yamaha build great engines and you won’t go wrong with either one. I have found in the last few years Mercury has the performance edge but both have sweet 4 stroke engines and the consumer is the winner.

[@oswaldcobblepot502]

Yamaha has Mercury beat right now when it comes to the low-mid horsepower range engines. Once you get above 150hp, that's when the quality improves on the Mercury side. The Mercs, 150 and below, though they run nice, are pretty cheesy quality wise. A trained eye will be able to spot the ways that Mercury sacrificed build quality for cost savings/faster production on their mid-low horse 4 strokes. The "shift in handle" on the tiller of Mercury's small outboards is horrendous. L6 Verados, in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing, are a solid platform. The new V6-V8 engines are doing well so far, but the cowling/powerhead clearance is terrible, and you can't access anything below the lip of the side cowlings (with the top cowling off.) In all the years Mercury has been in business, you would think they'd have learned by now how important accessibility to your engine's powerhead is and put some actual thought into that part of their design like Yamaha and Suzuki did.

[@melrose9252]

@@oswaldcobblepot502 < Just like my original comment said. this is an argument or debate that will never be won. You are obviously a Yamaha fanboy and that’s great. I have a 2015 115 Merc 4 stroke with Command thrust. I just turned 500 hours and it has been flawless in every way. I will put it against it any 115 made ( quality, torque in low end, midrange and top speed). My co-worker had a 2014 60 4 stroke Merc. He doesn’t have an hour meter but he goes more than me. His motor was flawless and just traded up to a 75 Mercury 4 stroke ( Its the same base motor my 115 but tuned to 75). I am sure there are those who have bought all brands and had great luck or not so great luck. But overall most with any brand will get a good motor. The only way to change the mind of a Yamaha/Suzuki or Honda lover is for them to buy a Mercury then a new Mercury fanboy will be created. Happy boating.

[@oswaldcobblepot502]

@@melrose9252 Nope, just stating what I've observed. Do you work in the industry?

[@melrose9252]

@@oswaldcobblepot502 < I have been in the industry since the 70’s, my dad since the 50’s. I have heard all the “what I have observed” from many people for many years. It used to Johnson/Evinrude vs. Mercury who would ever win this debate. I have even heard one dude say his Evinrude was better than a Johnson. Then we have the Ford vs. Chevy. Cessna vs. Piper. Boeing vs. Airbus etc. So you proved my point that this is a no win debate. There thousands of Mercury lovers who have “observed” something completely different than you. My original comment said if you buy any of the name brand motors, chances are greater that you will get a good one than bad. But the debate will continue and no one will win. The manufacturers love it.

[@oswaldcobblepot502]

@@melrose9252 Yeah? Well my observations are accurate ones. The mid-lower horse Yamahas on the market are better than the mid-low horse Mercs. They're simply built with better components and they did a better job than Merc did with making things accessible/tech friendly for service. IE Yamaha actually put some thought into these things whereas Mercury thought more about making their 150 cheaper and quicker to assemble at the plant. There is no question about it when comparing the two engines. As I said in my previous comment before, once you get to Merc's higher end outboards is when they pull ahead of Yamaha. They're both a solid product but Yamaha is building the better product in the mid-low range engines right now. That and Yamaha also does a far better job actually packaging their engines for shipping, compared to Mercury's crappy packaging job, and half of their engines showing up looking like they fell off the truck doing 75 on the highway. Doesn't make me a "fanboy" for being unbiased and stating exactly what I see with each engine.

[@alecs6492]

I’ve owned both. Loved my Mercury, had it for years. I do lots of open ocean sailing, sailed all over the world. Switched to a Yamaha a decade ago, and I think that I will stick with Yamaha. Just a superior 4 stroke. Just one man’s opinion.

[@alecs6492]

@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon gosh off the top of my head I forgot they year of my Merc. My new catamaran I got in 98 had two 98 yamaha 25 4 strokes. You know what sold me, was that the Yamahas had a stronger reverse. Just bite better. Believe it or not that was the deciding factor lol. Like I said I have no problems with either brands I’ve owned.

[@thewwoods4557]

2018 Mercury 60hp command thrust. Never a single issue ever. Super reliable, efficient, smooth and quiet. Awesome engine.

[@bignate6202]

I have a ski boat built by my great grandfather in the early 60's. He threw a 63' Kiekhaefer Merc 500 2-stroke on the back. Its a 50 horse and scoots the boat along very well. 60 years later, his great grandson (me) still uses it to this day and it runs perfectly after rebuilding the engine myself. I only restored the original parts )carbs, magneto, stator, fuel pump, etc. its a lot of fun and has never left me stranded. Go Merc!

[@michaelguerrero4601]

I have a center console that I run on primarily the Atlantic and ICW in Florida. My brand new boat was delivered in May of 2021. My boat has 165 hours now. I have had to replace two starters and now spark plugs on my Mercury Verado 300 V8 engine. My boat has been in the shop three times related to the engine. I replaced my first starter in August of 2021 and then again in November of 2022. Issue: Sometimes I turn the key and nothing happens. Eventually I keep trying and it starts. Then the day comes where the engine won’t turn over. Come to find out Mercury sent out a bulletin regarding certain engine lots with warranty work related to starters and my engine didn’t have “water diverters”. I cannot believe these engines didn’t come with water diverters. They go under the engine intake holes. When it’s trimmed up water literally pours down inside and corrodes the starter and likely other components. Those are now installed as of November 2022. Now all of my spark plugs are bad especially #4 and have to be replaced. It’s extremely disappointing a $48k engine has some many problems. I wonder if water made its way to the spark plugs causing them to fail and have rough idle and loss of power. Mercury sent me a survey and I gave them low marks for the issues. The power is awesome and very quiet which is great. When it’s running as advertised. I would say Mercury owes me a new engine.

[@taringaturi6950]

In Australia here Mercury does a 6 year warranty on new outboards and Yamaha does 3 years I think all outboards are pretty much reliable these days because every manufacturer have upped their game in technology sense. They almost come out of the same factory. They're just branded/labelled differenty. Apparently Tohatsu outboards come out of the Honda factory.

[@rags8855]

Yamaha all the way for me. Owned 3 Mercurys, all had issues. One (115) blew up twice under warranty….. One caught on fire, the last one broke a rod. Twelve years on my Yamaha 115 and not one issue, ever. I agree that Mercury has come a long way, but prior experience is why I’ll only buy Yamaha.

[@darksideofthetoon1756]

Fr As a dealer that specialises in late model pre owned boats, We see far more problems with the Mercs than other brands. Always seems to be some wierd, crazy thing for a few year old motor to have. Also, real issues with corrosion/rust. When you see a 2 or three year old engine that has a trim motor that is rusted severely, you have to wonder how a company that has been around as long as Merc can't figure out how to keep their components from rusting, thats a problem.

[@darksideofthetoon1756]

@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon salt water

[@TheKCaryer]

Saltwater grouper fisherman out of Tarpon springs Fl here….Owned a single 2014 F300A thru 2016 and then twin F300A’s from 2016 to 2021…..flawless. Never an issue.

[@nickw66]

I have a 1992 8 HP 2 stroke mercury. No issues with it. Great motor. Still works like a charm all these years later. Always did the yearly preventative maintenance. That's the key. I can't say anything about Yamaha as I never had one. But in my experience, you can't go wrong with a Mercury!

[@alancummings5651]

We have owned 2 Mercury 4-strokes and never a problem. We also owned a 150 carb Mercury and it was terrible. We have owned two Yamaha 4-stroke and never a problem. However our 2005 Yamaha 150 v-max carb blue up on me. There are a lot of factors. All being equal, I say they are even so the choice is does one have a good dealer near them.

[@bigblock-uu1ld]

On the gulf coast my family has always used mercury never left us stranded have had many 80s model 25hps, 4 stroke 30hp, a couple 50hps, a 55hp, and a 65hp still have some old mercury mariner 15hp and 20hp motors never had any major issues only reason any were sold was with entire boats and constant upgrades we fish backwater swamps and rivers they take tons of abuse and never quit

[@deepsea5107]

I live in Maine. We don't have a shortage of Yamaha, Mercury, Suzuki, Honda and even Tohatsu dealers. I'd go with whatever engine I could get a "deal" on. The modern outboards all seem to be good runners. Our new Barletta pontoon is coming with a Mercury outboard. I'd have been just as happy with any of the other outboard manufacturers.

[@bokettom]

I used to run a 95 Merc EFI Black max 200 on a Super Pro ProCraft and it was one of the best engines I could ask for. Other than normal maintenance the only part I ever replaced was the cracked cap on the oil tank. It didn’t have an hour meter but my dad bought it used from a tournament fisherman and we ran it in tournaments all its life and then I ended up with it for the last 7 years. It probably had well over 1000 hours running around 6500rpm most times and the oil injection system finally gave up on it 3 years ago and ran lean and exploded the #2 and #5 pistons. I now have a 250 Pro XS on my new boat and a 300 Yami on my bay boat. The new V8 ProXS motors are amazing, they have so much torque compared to the old 2 strokes and they are really close in weight. I sure do miss that old 2 stroke whine at 6k plus rpm though.

[@mikemcgee1040]

I’ve owned a 175 mercury optimax from new still had very low hours when I sold it I’ll never own another mercury spent more time in the shop than on the water Currently running and old 135 Johnson on a slightly smaller boat runs every time when I replace it I’ll be looking 4 stroke Yamaha

[@zekepeters997]

I have owned my 1976 starcraft witg the original 1976 mercury 80hp 2 stroke for 3 years, previous owner said it had 7500 hours on it when i bought it, assuming thats accurate, im till just over 8000hrs now, it has obviously been treated very well. Still starts and runs like new

[@krisramos7453]

Both seem great and are almost equal. If you want a slight longevity/reliability edge go Yamaha. If you want a slight performance/speed edge go merc. Overall very very similar

[@scottmacpherson2352]

I live in Nova Scotia I have a Yamaha over 21 years now they seem to be the best motor for this climate

[@birdmandave]

I work at a Yamaha dealership. Working on boats. I also have a 1986 yami 15hp 2 stroke, and a 2001 merc 4hp 2 stroke (tohatso motor). Both great outboards

[@birdmandave]

@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon Ive only been here for a lil over a month so far.

[@michaelosmon]

Sounds like they're comparable. Listening and reading comments it seems they aren't a whole lot different except Yamaha maintains value longer and has a better reverse. The made in China stamp is enough for me to never buy a merc. Thank you for suggesting the video. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience. Updated....I had a long conversation with this 84 year old man who owns a marine parts and service business this morning. He told me that a little while ago yamaha sent every parts dealer within 50 miles a letter that they were no longer continuing to supply them parts. They only want to sell you new engines and if you want parts you have to go online. Reading between the lines it would seem they want these older engines to stop being used. F that dude I'll never buy another yamaha product as long as I live. I should be able to get parts for the stuff I own.

[@philip4193]

Exactly! I'm currently bringing a 2000 Mercury 25hp 2-stroke back to life after sitting unused in a shed for almost 20 years. Every single part, gasket kit, etc is readily available for me to buy today, even though this old premix 2-stroke has long gone the way of the dinosaurs. That game Yamaha is playing is called planned obsolescence.

[@kennylloyd9117]

2006 V-Max 150. Love it been running it since 2006. Marshall’s marine in lake city S.C great people. Love my Yamaha!

[@andrewn.5117]

I had a 2007 merc 75 two stroke and a 2006 Yamaha 50 two stroke. I’m still using the Yamaha it’s as strong as ever. The mercury sold for $1500 that’s with a stainless vengeance prop. Yamaha has always been more reliable for me. Yamaha resell value is way better

[@andrewn.5117]

@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon coastal North Carolina

[@paulkersey2179]

I loved my Mercury Optimax 115 on my last boat, great engine, pulled skiers nicely. I now have a new boat with a Mercury 4 stroke 115 ProXS, not as quiet as I had hoped at anything up from an idle (very quiet idle). Power is about the same, maybe a little less on the top end but his boat is heavier.

[@thnksno]

When I went to buy my boat, I had a hull and motor size specification. Cash in hand and 6 months to Memorial Day. The motor brand wasn't important, so long as it was reliable, most likely a 4 cylinder 4 stroke. The dealers couldn't come up with my order until next fall? But one dealer had the same boat, next size up with a V8 Pro XS on the floor. V8, you say? It wasn't too much of a leap and glad I did it.

[@al1411]

Not all Verado engines are supercharged. The V8 250 and 300 aren‘t, the L6 350 and 400 are.

[@monkeymoney7830]

2022 sho 250 bought new not one problem easy do it yourself 100 hour service couldn’t be happier

[@bostonbeanman6173]

Love my Yamaha and do all of my own maintenance and repairs. However, I order parts online as there are very few dealers in the immediate area. By very few, I mean none. Closest is 1 hr away and they are not even listed as a dealer, rather they just keep some supply of Yamaha stuff knowing that there are no dealers in the area. Mercury? There are 3 dealers within 15-20 minutes from me.

[@larryplogman7997]

Would like to see a comparison of Salt water protection

[@bobfish3176]

Most of the boat shops in my area won't touch your boat unless there a Mercury on it. So on that fact I won't look at anything without a mercury.

[@wheatwear]

Nice video. I have owned many Mercury outboards they are great motors. But I give the edge to Yamaha for reliability. Cheers from the Finger Lakes!

[@gregoryjohnson2071]

I sold all brands of outboards from 1972 to 2013. Everything changed for me in 1984 when I heard a Yamaha 8hp 2stroke run in a shop. Called the rep and they got us the full line. Wasn't easy selling the first couple of year in Merc and Evinrude MN country. We kept motors in the shop tank for demo's. Yamaha's were just so much quieter and better built. Yamaha sales took off about the same time Evinrude failed with their VRO and Ficht's. What I didn't like about Mercury they bought Chrysler-Force motors(worse motors ever), contracted out to Tohatsu for all their small motors, but the worse was they couldn't build a 4stroke so they used Yamaha's generosity who built rebranded engine for them. Sharing their tech and all the while leveraging with boat builders to not use the amazing Yamaha inboards after they came into the US. Yamaha saved their asses and stabbed Yamaha in their back after! My son is a master mechanic in Naples Fl and he still jokes a Mercury quality.

[@cdan1984]

Heard the same story, a Toyota mechanic told me. Yamaha used a lot Toyota’s design and mercury is a replica of what Yamaha’s motor. Don’t know about the new Mercury though, at least they sound very different

[@jglads21]

Great video and break down but the Mercury Verados are not all super charged, only the 350, 400 and 450 are (450 is a 4.6L V8). The 250 and 300 are 4.6L N/A V8s and obviously the new 600hp is a 7.6L V12 (!!!). I think stats like that are important to include when breaking down the most popular options given that the video. On the west coast of Canada, there are a lot of life long Yamaha guys making the switch to Merc or Suzuki given the warranty and ease of maintenance, especially on the Mercs. That's just my two cents, hard to go wrong with either!

[@johanneslaxell6641]

OXE diesel outboard. It ain't cheap, but it is nice 👍🏼😉.

[@ATC235]

Mercury you can extend the warranty out to 8 years.

[@mulletoutdooradventures6286]

Here's the thing. If you take care of your motor you'll have the problems that usually occur like starter, impeller etc. But nothing else. It doesn't matter Merc, Yammy, Suzuki, Evinrude they are all the same anymore. If it fails it's probably your fault. I have a Merc 40hp 2020 with now 400hrs and I use that motor on a 17ft that I take 50 miles offshore every weekend I can. I never have had an issue. Change your oils!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@zamanzf6165]

Very well said !

[@damodoesall6240]

The black anchor

[@jmatasomo2660]

Both awesome outboards, the thing i do not like is that Yamaha still use a timing belt where as Merc use the low maintenance timing chain set up. Merc for the win IMHO.

[@user-oe7pr5ww2m]

For cars, as you said timing chain is way better than belt, but on the other hand for outboards, belt is bit better than chain, because outboard is used in harsh environment so even chain is still required to change it, in that case easy to replace is at least not bad.

[@jmatasomo2660]

@@user-oe7pr5ww2m Yep, actually I own an Yamaha 200hp and it is very good outboard smooth and fast.

[@rob5896]

I don't pay too much attention to bad reliability stories unless its on a brand new engine because one never knows the history of that motor, I remember on one occasion I was launching my boat just got it off the trailer when somebody came across the slipway overtop of my trailer there was a loud metallic sound Ouch! But they just headed off out to sea never ever thought to check out their motor but in all the years that I've been boating I see people abusing their outboards all of the time and most likely because some people don't know what they don't know nor do they make any effort to educate themselves, when you think about that lord only knows what an outboard motor has gone through in its lifetime and then we expect it to be reliable? I always buy brand new and maintain without regard to cost a good motor could save your life so keeping it well maintained is a very smart thing to do I did buy one used outboard many years ago and that was a Yamaha BETO 70 that engine was amazing! I bought it only 2 years old from a Yamaha tech and what an amazing engine that was. A friend of mine has not the latest gen but previous gen to that Mercury Verado I think its a 350 and again it hasn't skipped a beat since new and he puts a lot of hours on that boat and a high percentage of it low speed but it just keeps on going sounds sweet and not too bad on running costs so I might consider a Mercury or a pair on my next boat.

[@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon]

Maintenance is the key for sure!

[@darthkek1953]

Judging by the comments the one to go for is based on what dealers and servicing you can get locally.

[@kross1261]

I’m in the marine business. I bought a new fishing boat late 2020. I asked all 4 marinas/customers that offered a variety of motors. All of them suggested I get Yamaha especially if reliability is important. Suzuki had a lot going for it as well I just didn’t have a servicing dealer in my area.

[@melodyventrescagmail9098]

we have 150hp, 40hp, 75hp, 300hp, 140hp, 225hp, 250hp, 200hp, 100hp, 115hp, all 4 stroke for sale Let me know if you’re interested.

[@francus7227]

What is the number of hours expected for the life of the engine..... Nobody ever talks about that. If you put it in a tank at 5,000 rpm's... How long until it's done? 1,000? 2,000? 3,000? 4,000? 10,000?

[@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon]

@francus7227 check out this video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zqq6k6qcj62jmJIsi=zZJqQsMvriFYssk6

[@smokenjoe4022]

Up here in Alaska the large majority of outboards are Yamaha's we’ve seen these other brand come up here on new boat but in a couple of years they dump them for Yamahas! Alaskan waters will test your equipment!!

[@qapsukalek]

A lot of north slope uses yamahas up here in Ak pretty good in harsh conditions

[@JZ-up3he]

Great video - thanks. The marine industry is very slow compared to auto industry. (Both in manufacturing and customer perception.) Imagine talking about your 1978 or 1986 whatever car, and saying "It was the best, so I'm buying this..." OR "It was the worst, so I will never buy that..." Bottomline, new outboards are generally reliable with few exceptions. 10+ years ago, probably stick to the Japanese brands. Today, you cant really go wrong. I do like the investment that Mercury is making in R&D. It seems, Yamaha is riding their name a bit and becoming a bit more outdated but still solid. As of 2023, my $$$ go on Mercury (just bought a 200 V-6, and my last 115 was bulletproof and silent), but like everything with life, its subject to change based on what happens in the future. Made in USA is important too - far more than we all give it credit for. I would avoid the 40-60 Merc due to country of origin. Come on, Mercury, that is a short-sighted move. (I know, Yamaha does some of this outsourcing too). Tohatsu is solid as a rock - no issues with Mercury subbing out the small displacement stuff to them, especially if it frees up R&D dollars at the larger horsepower side of their line. In any case, it's mostly an academic exercise as you can't go really wrong today with any major brand outboard as a whole. Dealer accessibility and good maintenance is paramount to any brand, regardless.

[@user-xg8js2cl9w]

so which motor is better

[@brianhanel6897]

Maintenance is very important and also the most ignored factor to reliability

[@davidfishferrell]

Yamaha guy all my life have a Suzuki on my new boat so far so good

[@davidfishferrell]

@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon warranty was double and all the crabbers and sea tow guys have them

[@KaneGregory]

I’m a Yamaha guy from a beautiful grand piano to the V10 in the Lexus LFA they also make the best outboard motors IMO!🔥🎹

[@Crazyreseller]

Bottom line: buy what you can get parts and service on locally. Both are equally great.

[@bapakbob3897]

Thank You! Motor Selection: Easiest choice: Buy what is sold on your lake. Or, sadly, what the boat builder ONLY sells on their boat. What motor to buy if your life depends on it. Forget the day tripper yatch masters postings on the bulletin board forums. Instead watch the PORT PROTECTION TV series. These residents use BOATS to get to their automobiles! They haul 50 foot logs with their boats, they move their household furniture on boats, they fight ocean currents to fish, and they use boats in ways you cannot imagine. There is not a certified repair shop for any motor maker within a couple hundred miles of Port Protection. And for the Port Protection residents whose life and livihoods depend upon their boat motors, Yamaha outboards reign supreme.

[@Barefoot-Bob]

I don't care either way i am an i/o guy . However out here on the west coast , namely Colorado river , It seems all you see is Mercury and the more expensive stuff like Avalon's running twin 400s and 450 mercs.

[@416ix]

I’ve had merc johnson evinrude brp and yamaha motors all from various years and HP that being said the 1991 yamaha 9.9 motor i have starts first pull every time. Never had any parts break, only ever needed to replace the lower end seal. With that kind of reliability why would you buy anything else

[@BMWorner]

Verado isn’t just a Supercharged I6 anymore, Verado 250,300 v8 are the 4.6 with AMS and power steer

[@elkhunter3382]

Hmm I have one of each brand. 150hp 4stroke Merc. and 25hp high thrust Yamaha. So far both motors are good.

[@elkhunter3382]

@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon Merc is 5 years old, 280hrs. 25hp Yam is brand new used one partial season last year, 20hrs. They are on a 27' tolman Jumbo Pilot house, use the boat 100% of time ocean fishing

[@keithdubose2150]

My advice I'd to buy from a reputable dealer/mechanic... the set up, advice, follow maintenance etc. .. more than likely results in better reliability than simply brand

[@drmarkadufrene8153]

Excellent… thanks

[@christiangirard6634]

To find a master technician is hard im a training Yamaha and mercury technician and 98% of technicians who take the master class for Yamaha fail it and there’s only 351 active master technicians for Yamaha in the world

[@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon]

Very good point and many of them are aging out and retiring (

[@jeffs6819]

It is amazing to me that after the myriad of Yamaha outboard problems, corrosion being the worst, people still love them. Too bad they all are 4 strokes now, 2 stroke engines deliver more power with fewer moving parts. For what these engines cost they should last at least 3000 hours without a problem. The old 2 strokes ran darn near forever.

[@LAXERJK]

All of that was overshadowed by the success of the Yamaha f300. I would argue that motor is one of the best internal combustion engines humans have ever created.

[@jeffs6819]

@@LAXERJK I doubt any outboard would fall into that category. There were some problems with that engine "making" oil, as some referred to it. Corrosion issues are inexcusable for an outboard.

[@craigweis6576]

The 9.9 Merc 4 cycles have an accelerator pump, and each twist of the throttle floods the engine with a shot of gasoline. Don't flood the engine, with or without the engine running.

[@canabox7112]

A guy on Lake of the woods. Has six rental boats. 14 foot aluminum with 20 horse motors. He went from mercury’s to Yamaha’s says he’ll never go back

[@kevinmcdonald8059]

What about Suzuki

[@mikerileyfop]

Ask your local dealer that services both brands which motors are more reliable?

[@markrobinson5774]

I love Mercury that's the only Dependable engine isn't it my only the boat the only boat I ever had had a Yamaha in the back it caught on fire I lost my boat that sunk I think I got fine too in the Coast Guard

[@williamsporing1500]

I just bought the tohatsu 9.8 to put on my little boat. Same motor as the merc, but $400 cheaper….

[@Paul-ny1do]

A point worth noting if anyone is really relying on this information is resale value. You can get away with hanging a mercury on a bass boat without consequence due to The market. Installing Mercury’s on a Center console Or Express fisherman is going to definitely affect resale value but also market appeal. There is a reason Yamaha’s dominate the coast and almost every island in the world.

[@udaaz]

Very nice 👍

[@artlife6210]

both great products, if you want the practically the same quality, but affordable, choose Suzuki...and be careful with those early v8 Yamaha lower units...otherwise its just what brand do you feel more comfortable with

[@artlife6210]

@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon for sure, or buy 10k worth of diag tools lol!!!

[@diggs345lr]

Great video , I'm hopefully going to be getting my first boat next year anf plan to rig it myself , I'll likely be fitting s mercury pro xs 250 to it , can you tell me if it comes as a complete plug and play package or are the console and instrumentation an extra cost .

[@diggs345lr]

@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon the ones I looked at don't say hence my question , but I'll be sure to ask , when I'm ready to purchase .

[@mohammedalawadhi5093]

I had 17 boats but never used mercury, only yamaha and Suzuki. when I boaght my 18th it hade a twin 300 hp mercury Verado they are nice and quiet but after only 3 month I replaced them with new f300 hp yamaha I don’t know why but I really afraid that they won’t last in a good condition for the coming years and I had another issue with the hydraulic steering which I was not happy with .

[@BMWorner]

And for some context, if it wasn’t for OMC Evinrude/Johnson and Mercury Marine, Yamaha would never have had the Outboard they did. You do know that back in the Day Yamaha literally took Mercs and OMCs back to Japan and copied them, hence why a Yamaha 115 V4 you can literally take the Yammies Mikuni Carbs off and bolt them on a OMC V4 and yes it runs better, they Yamaha 3cylinder, 2 cylinder and V6s are carbon copies, Loop charged, earlier messages weren’t at all being a D, I hate text because you can’t tell if someone is being funny or snarky

[@upmetalhead]

my next engine will be a Suzuki!!!

[@clemdoggmillionaire9914]

Just get a Yamaha hands down. Suzuki's are cheaper but you'll end up paying in a long run

[@pitsmcgoo]

Both good which is cheaper?

[@BigDrawls79]

Thanks for the info bro 👍👊

[@darwonboyful]

Great video

[@captpepin]

How about whichever brand you can actually get waiting under 3,6,9 months.

[@user-xg8js2cl9w]

Какой вывод, какой мотор лучше?????

[@MikeSmith-nu9wt]

My maintence plan is too strong , im still running a 96 evenrude 88 spl two stroke ? I feel left out cause we cant talk ....when im wide open ... But i dont want to hear it anyway ..lol

[@MikeSmith-nu9wt]

Dont matter which one you buy , the shop cant hire/ pay good mechanics , they all got old or wiser and retired or moved on , the new work force available at any dealership is mostly a joke in todays world , and the manufacturers dont stand behind there products no more , thats not just outboards or boats , its gm , scag , kubota , bobcat , ive bought them all this year , all junk , i reported my findings to all of them , not even a call back ..over 200,000 thrown in the trash , i wont even use them till i redesign them ..and repair them

[@surfstarcc1]

Well there's a 2-year waiting list for Yamahas so I'm going with a Merc.

[@coynedaddy]

I have a 6 year warranty on my 2021 90hp merc

[@larryplogman7997]

Neat information to hear about

[@C3c1l]

I buy new Honda last year, everthing great so far..

[@C3c1l]

@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon its 100hp, Here in Europe its a chaos, everybody in stores has a waiting list becouse nobody can get a engine from manufacture..

[@sethpurvis8680]

Got a 2017 Tohatsu on my bay boat the bigger motors are made by Honda mine has Honda on the valve cover and I absolutely love it

[@kizzjd9578]

Power/weight and displacement is another big factor. You could compare a yamaha 200 to a mercury 200, one might be a v6 and one might be a v8. Obviously the v8 will have better fuel economy and torque.

[@kizzjd9578]

@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon only going off what the mercury rep told me.

[@mckeanbrosoffroad150]

V6 should have better fuel economy in most cases. 2 fewer cylinders to feed fuel to.

[@jacktyler7599]

I thought this was great advice...until I tried to use the Yamaha & Mercury Marine websites. For Yamaha, I ended up with '404' even tho' I live right next to a section of Florida's ICW and Gulf Coast. Mercury Marine doesn't know of any dealers "in my area" - WHAT?! Hey, Yamaha & Mercury, wake up.

[@Watchinchemtrailz]

And I'm over here with an old Johnson 150 2 stroke lol

[@oaklandjames246]

So I've just ordered a 2022 mercury 25hp 4stroke the newest model that isn't released in Australia yet so brand new. I've heard you don't have to break them in because they do it at the factory because to many people weren't breaking them in properly. IS THIS TRUE ?????

[@mr.mr.3301]

Where is Suzuki in the conversation. I was under the impression it was the best for the money.

[@mr.mr.3301]

@@BoatBuyersSecretWeapon I’d like to know. Been out of the game a while. Came from old school two strokes and loved them. Then rode dirt bikes and when they went to 4 stoked they needed frequent top end refresh’s and valve adjustments. I’ve been curious about reliability and maintenance of new 4 strokes.

[@maccheese9072]

I'm getting new Merc 😎 twin 200 hp

[@Adogsmate4267]

If you buy a nice second hand boat, chuck the motor no matter what. It may be fine, but if you don't know how it was looked after, chuck it. A break down at sea is not only dangerous, it's bloody expensive.